Ask the walleye. All I know is from all my experiences. I use what works for me. I learned a lot fishing tourney's. Team mates and I would spend a week prior to each tourney prefishing and learning. Having quite a few boats out trying different things and everyone working to dial in programs thru the week set a lot of what I know and do now.
All the walleye over 12lbs that I have caught have been on meat, spawned out and usually in May. My wife, friends and I have caught plenty of 11lbers on cranks in early spring and late fall, but usually the weather or work got in the way of being able to get out and fish what few decent days there are.
Not everything works for everyone. Most times is comes down to the little details that can change a ho hum day into a banner day.